Thursday, 22 March 2018

Over 10 years‚ police reported only two VIP security
breaches — and neither was the poisoning of then-president Jacob Zuma in 2014.

In a report on the government’s 6‚600-strong private army
of VIP protectors that he says costs R2.6-billion a year‚ Gareth van Onselen
says he combed through South African Police Service annual reports between
2007/08 and 2016/17 looking for evidence of threats to VIPs.

In 2010/11‚ “one security breach occurred during the second
quarter while protecting a South African VIP at Tshwane University of
Technology”. And in 2011/12‚ “a security breach occurred at Danielskuil in the
Northern Cape in respect of the protection of an MEC”.

Van Onselen‚ whose report was published by the South
African Institute of Race Relations‚ said this was “difficult to reconcile with
the public record”‚ because as recently as August and November 2017 Zuma had
confirmed being poisoned.

Onselen quoted Zuma - who has 88 protectors‚ according to
the report - as saying in August: “I was poisoned and almost died just because
South Africa joined Brics under my leadership. They said I was going to destroy
the country.

“I nearly died because they did poison me. They managed to
find someone close to me and I know it. I was dead. They don’t believe how I
survived. Not one dose‚ because the person who was poisoning me was so
innocent‚ so close. Three doses. Even scientists can’t believe why I did not
die.”

In November‚ said Van Onselen‚ Zuma told ANN7: “I was
poisoned‚ some people wanted me dead‚ indeed it was quite a strong poison and I
did go through a challenging time.”

“By the president’s own admission‚ however‚ security ...
was clearly violated. There was‚ in June 2014‚ an attempted assassination of
the president by poison‚ which was successfully administered to the president
and which‚ by his own account‚ resulted in severe physical harm‚ a medical
emergency and ultimately in his near death.”

The IRR report said First Lady Nompumelelo Ntuli-Zuma was
being investigated by the Hawks for allegedly poisoning Zuma‚ though she had
not been charged and had denied guilt.

“If there is any truth to the suspicion that the First Lady
was involved‚ that would constitute a double breach — for she‚ just like the
president‚ is protected by the presidential protection services‚” says Van
Onselen.

“Likewise‚ if there is any truth to the president’s
assertion that the attempt followed his policy on Brics‚ it constitutes an
intensely political attack and‚ simultaneously‚ a failure of the intelligence
services.”